


but gravity, it pulls me into you

by goducksgo



Series: !magic! [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Albus Severus Potter Needs a Hug, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Bisexual Scorpius Malfoy, Boys In Love, Budding Relationship, Coming of Age, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff and Angst, Gay Albus Severus Potter, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Kissing, Lowercase, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Albus Severus Potter, POV Scorpius Malfoy, Panic Attacks, SO MUCH FLUFF, Scorbus is Life, Scorpius Malfoy Needs a Hug, Slytherin Albus Severus Potter, Slytherin Scorpius Malfoy, mentioned Internalized Homophobia, they both get one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24085525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goducksgo/pseuds/goducksgo
Summary: a continuation of the !magic! series."i love you.""i love you too, albus."albus and scorpius have finally figured out their feelings for each other. a night of talking, followed by a first kiss, and exchanged i love yous have changed their relationship forever: how they navigate their budding relationship from here on, coupled with typical fifth-year hogwarts shenanigans are documented in the perspectives of both boys.*inspired by 'couple of kids' by maggie lindemann!
Relationships: Albus Severus Potter & James Sirius Potter, Scorpius Malfoy & Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Series: !magic! [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1696918
Comments: 5
Kudos: 68





	1. take me back to the night

**Author's Note:**

> hey all! so i've decided to start a longer fic all about scorpius and albus' new relationship that takes place right after "lying that you love me". the three works before this in the series (brothers, war of hearts, and lying that you love me) should be read before this, as they detail some of the events leading up to their fifth year as well as some background information about the albus and scorpius in this fic. 
> 
> enjoy reading! please heed the tags, trigger warnings for anything specific will be mentioned in the notes before each chapter :) lowercase intentional**
> 
> *1: description of a panic attack and references to previous internalized homophobia

**1\. take me back to the night**

**may 22nd, 2022**

**albus potter**

_"i love you."_

_"i love you too, albus."_

i woke with a start. had i really said that last night? i quickly came to realization i wasn't alone on my four-poster bed. a tuft of blonde hair on my shoulder. a firm arm around my waist. my legs intertwined with two others. 

_scorpius._

i started to feel the panic rising in my throat before i choked it down. _it's okay, albus, it's okay, don't freak out or anything -_

"mhmn?" a soft groan mumbled into my neck. i felt myself shiver and carefully turned so that my back wasn't to my best friend (we were still best friends, right?) and let his blonde hair fall into his face. the hand that wasn't wrapped around my arm stretched out behind him as he rubbed his eyes, opening them slowly. 

i realized i probably looked like a deer caught in headlights but as i tried to make a sound, i couldn't speak. it wasn't like before, where i had words that wanted to come out, _so so badly,_ but shoved them down - no, this was different. i had no words. nothing to say as i watched scorpius hyperion malfoy wake from his slumber. _in my bed._

"al?" his silvery-grey eyes, the ones i had fallen for that one night in third year, were looking right into mine. 

i didn't respond, and that must've worried scorpius because he suddenly reached out, putting his hand over my forehead and peering into my glassy eyes. 

"albus?" he asked again, a little more urgency in his voice now. it broke through whatever fog was clouding my head, and my surroundings came back to me again. i quickly scrambled off the bed, pulling a bit of the duvet with me, and stood at the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do. 

"scor, i, i -" my brain refused to cooperate with me as i tried to form coherent sentences. my breathing became shallow, ragged. i couldn't look up at the sight of scorpius lying in my bed all confused - no, my eyes were trained to the ground as i tried to inhale properly, coughing instead. 

"albus." scorpius was close to me now, kneeling beside me. _i had fallen?_ it didn't matter. what mattered to me was what happened last night, and trying to get oxygen into my lungs like a _fucking normal person -_

scorpius had asked me something. he had his hand out, hovering a couple inches above my trembling knee, and tilted his head. i nodded vigorously, needing some sort of physical touch to ground me. because right now, nothing felt real. _because this wasn't real, right? i was dreaming. i had to be dreaming, because there is no way in hell i told my best friend i had a crush on him and i had to wake up soon because this was getting way too real for dream -_

"breathe, albus." a hand over my hand was guiding me to scorpius' chest, rising and falling slowly. _this isn't a dream. you have to breathe, or else you'll pass out and make this worse._ i told myself, focusing on the feeling of scor's chest moving up and down with control. 

scorpius was still reassuring me with his words, but i blocked them out to focus on the feeling in my fingertips. _in, out. in, and out._

i felt his heartbeat, too. not racing. calm. i focused on making mine the same and after what felt like an eternity, my head, tired and still racing with thoughts, fell onto scorpius' side, exhausted. his thin fingers raked through my messy brown curls as a hand curled around my back until it reached my shoulders, and _squeezed._ how he knew exactly what i needed at any given time, i would never know. but i wordlessly thanked him for the tight contact and nestled into his side even more. 

another eternity went by before i spoke. well, more like croaked. my voice was always battered in the morning, or after crying. 

"s-scorpius?" 

"mhm?" his soft voice vibrated in my bones. we were still lying against the bed, sitting on the ground side by side, enmeshed by our arms and legs. i didn't want to move, so i stared straight into the window, where the lake water emitted a teal-blue glow. 

"last night." i croaked out, willing my voice to stop sounding so broken. "i, i said some things." i didn't know what i was trying to ask, if i was asking anything at all. 

"you did." scorpius replied, continually running his hands through my hair, making my heart flutter. 

"i w-wasn't joking." i got out. _why had i said that? now he would think it_ was _a joke!_

"i didn't think you were." he said softly, his hand dropping from my head down to my left hand. he grasped it, making my heart flutter so hard he must've heard it. "i wasn't joking either." he said, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. 

i pulled away from his side, it slightly damp from my tears (when did i cry?) keeping our hands interlocked. i positioned myself in front of scorpius, our knees touching as i crossed my legs. 

i stalled for a moment, not coming with any words to say. luckily, scorpius did first. 

"you hungry? we better head down soon if we're not to miss breakfast." he said smiling, gesturing for us to get up. 

_what?_ i was so utterly confused. 

"i - don't we - i thought we should t-t-talk, about where w-we are, and, and what this is … " i drifted off, unable to comprehend what was taking place. he just expected us to go down to breakfast? were we supposed to pretend nothing had happened last night? 

oh. _oh._

scorpius must've noticed the way i turned starkly pale and my face dropped. i was still lacking words as he brought the two of us onto my bed. 

"we don't have to talk about it." he started, squeezing my hand a bit to get me to look up. "i just thought it was obvious, but if it isn't we can talk about it - "

"that's what i'm not getting." i said hastily, feeling a tinge of guilt from interrupting scorpius' soft spoken words. "i don't even know what this is, or what these feelings really mean, and i don't understand what we're supposed to be anymore, like how we're supposed to act anymore, and because of the kiss - if that means anything and - " scorpius' gentle hand on my knee reminded me to pause for a moment from my nervous rambling. 

"can i just say something? get it out there?" scorpius asked tenderly. i nodded. he smiled a bit before looking right into my eyes once more. "i like you, albus. i _love_ you. and this is just as confusing and new for me as it is for you but if you're willing, and if you want to, i'm want this. _us._ a relationship. and if that's not what you want, i'll be happy just loving you as a friend, too. i care about you albus, deeply. i always have. and i do like the idea of us being together. but only if that's what you want too. because i know it might not be something you've thought of very much -"

"yes." i blurted out, putting a hand to my mouth. _scorpius was talking, you idiot!_ i ignored that criticizing voice in my head and continued. "yes, i have thought about it, and i love you too and i want to date it's just - " i looked around frantically. there was nothing to be worried about, of course. as fifth years we shared the dorm with only two other students, who were both nowhere to be seen. 

scorpius took my other hand in his and nodded in reassurance. "i know." he said, almost sadly. 

i took a deep breath, hoping my words would come out right. "i want us to date." i said firmly, perhaps squeezing scorpius' pale hands as i did so. "i've liked you since third year and i want us to be together, but i, i'm only out to my brother." i said the last bit a bit softer, as if someone was listening. 

"that's okay." scorpius said reassuringly. "if it means anything, the only person i've remotely said anything to about liking guys has been my mum and dad, and they were okay with it, i suppose," he drifted off, still holding my hands firmly. 

i bit my lip. i wanted to date scorpius, my heart ached for it. but the fantasy of us holding hands as we walked in the corridors, the little kisses we would share in the courtyard, the dates in hogsmeade as we drank butterbeer together and talked about anything at all - they still seemed like a fantasy to me. because i couldn't fathom the idea of telling anyone else, nevermind the whole school, that i was gay. 

i cleared my throat. "do we, i mean, i don't know if i can tell people - " i stammered. 

scorpius looked just as apprehensive as me as i brought the subject up, but his eyes glistened with reassurance as i looked into them.

"we don't have to tell anyone, not unless we're both ready." he said, me nodding along. 

"so," i started, trying to fully grasp what this would entail. our relationship, i mean. 

"boyfriends?" i asked, voice barely over a whisper. 

scorpius shifted nice and close to me before replying. "we can be anything you want." 

and then he kissed me. 

________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this didn't turn out as well as i had hoped! the other chapters will be better and a lot less convoluted, i promise! chapter 2 will be up by sunday! thanks for reading and stay safe!!!  
> \- karis


	2. hidden in the dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> albus and scorpius' new (secret) relationship from scorpius' pov. includes a little footsie under the table during a library study sesh, kissing in an empty staircase, and cuddles at midnight!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2\. footsie, rough kissing

**2\. hidden** **in the dark**

**may 27th, 2022**

**scorpius malfoy**

is it too much to say i'm going to die from happiness? albus says it is. but i don't care. because it really does feel like i'm going to die from it. the feeling when albus groggily crawls into my bed at six in the morning to give me a quick kiss before getting ready for the day. the giddy flutter of my heart when i place my hand on his leg during breakfast. the tingle that runs through my entire body when our hands will brush together as we walk to history of magic. my heart screams when i notice albus staring at me as if i light up his whole world. _little does he know that he absolutely lights up mine._

it's exhilarating. the fear is always there, though. albus' hand shook as we sat together on one of the couches in the common room, worried that we might be sitting too close to each other. i had to constantly look behind my back to make sure no one would walk in on us making out in a secret corridor. it was hard. but worth it. because albus is worth it. 

________________________

  
  


"this is absolutely not fair." albus sighed, throwing his head back. we were in the library studying for our herbology practical, and albus _was not having it._

"the O.W.L's are coming up and they expect us to keep doing tests and assignments as if we don't have the biggest standardized test of our lives coming up in less than a month?" albus dropped his head into the huge book he had open on our table. "it's not fair." he repeated, muffled by the book in his face. 

i reached over and lightly tousled albus' hair, his head jerking up and giving me a scowl. 

"excuse you but i spent half an hour this morning trying to make myself look presentable for my new - _boyfriend."_ he said the last word quietly, looking around the library to make sure no one had heard him. as if they could. we had taken over the farthest table there was, wedged into a corner under a rather intricate stained glass window. 

"the effort was acknowledged but i prefer your hair sticking up in all sorts." i replied, giving my boyfriend a small smile. albus smiled back and refocused on his textbook. 

i returned to reading about the effects of bloodroot poison when not two minutes later i felt albus' foot touch mine. i brushed it off as a mere accident until he continued to rub his foot against mine. i looked up at albus but there was nothing on his face to indicate he was doing _anything_ under the table. i tried to ignore it and read the book but as our ankles intertwined, i noticed a small quirk of albus' lips upwards. 

"albus!" i whispered, not stopping his foot's - _maneuvers_ . he looked up at me with an expression that read: _what, me?_ and continued to rub his foot against mine. after a few more moments of being distracted by this i abruptly closed my textbook shut - earning a surprised look from albus. 

"let's go." i took hold of albus' arm, him barely being able to put away his books in his messenger bag and grabbing it at the last minute, as i swiftly dragged us out of the library. it wasn't until we had hurried down two corridors, up a staircase, and then another, that i let albus go. 

"scor -" i brought my lips to his, effectively silencing him, as he melted into the kiss. i pressed him harder into the stone wall of the bell tower and kissed him _hard._

it wasn't until we were both out of breath and separated that albus spoke up.

"you know what's not fair?" he asked, a sparkle in his bright green eyes. 

"what?" i whispered softly against his neck, inhaling his _perfect_ cinnamon scent. 

"that you're such a good kisser." he brought both his hands to my cheeks and leaned in for another kiss, leaving me lightheaded. 

"i guess it's also not fair that i have boyfriend who refuses to study and instead _plays footsie with me in the goddamn library -"_

"oh, shut up. you liked it." 

we kissed again, melting in each other's arms before i noticed the faint moonlight entering the dark staircase through the tiny window. i took a quick glance at my watch. 

"it's almost ten, we better head to the common room before filch catches us out after curfew." i muttered, grabbing the bag i had so hastily thrown on the ground and slinging it over my shoulder. 

"as if he could catch us." albus replied with a grin. he grabbed his bag and we descended the staircase quickly. 

________________________

  
  


"you know what's the most unfair of them all?" i said, voice barely over a whisper, as albus and i sat together against his headboard. curtains drawn, it was nearing midnight as we leaned on each other, simply enjoying the comfort it provided us.

"hm?" albus replied, nuzzling into my neck. 

"that i get to be with someone as amazing as you." 

i looked down at the beautiful boy as his eyes twinkled with the light from our wands, a smile etching onto his face. 

"i'm nowhere near as amazing as you." he mumbled into my shoulder, eyes slowly fluttering shut. i pressed a small kiss to his forehead before slowly laying him down on his bed, pulling the covers over his body before making my way over to my bed. 

i noxed the light from my wand as i crawled under my blanket, pitch blackness surrounding me. 

_he had no idea how amazing he was._

____________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 3 will be out tuesday! not sure if i'll 100% keep to this schedule but i'm gonna try and upload every tuesday, friday, and sunday! 
> 
> stay safe lovelies!  
> \- karis


	3. underneath the stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> albus confides in james about his relationship with scorpius, and asks him for a favour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3\. no trigger warnings for this chapter!

**3\. underneath the stars**

**may 30th, 2022**

**albus potter**

he would. would he? i mean, i understand it's really important to him and dad gave it to him but he's graduating hogwarts this year, and he's studying insanely hard - more than _scorpius_ \- so he'll probably let me borrow it for one night, right?

only one way to find out.

i was waiting outside the gryffindor common room, taking quick looks at my watch every few minutes as the second hand ticked on and on. i had asked james earlier this morning if we could talk, and we decided on nine, after quidditch and an hour before the fifth year curfew. 

i was nervously fiddling with the hem of my cloak when i saw james. 

"albus!" my brother happily swung his hand around my arm as he approached me in the corridor. 

"james," i shrugged his arm off. "you're all gross from quidditch." i teased. james pretended to scowl at my comment before declaring in front of the portrait - _bowtruckle!_ the entrance to the common room swung open, and i hesitantly followed my brother inside. i had only been in here two times prior, and still felt apprehensive about doing so. were students from other houses even allowed in other common rooms? i didn't think they were, but james _was_ my brother, and i just needed to ask him for something. 

at least there weren't many students in the space when we entered. most were probably pushing it close to their curfews to study in the library for our end-of-year exams, or getting ready for bed in their dorms. 

james sat on one of armchairs facing a flickering fireplace, gesturing for me to sit on the chair across. i did. 

"so, why did my younger brother so desperately need to talk to his marvelous _, stunning_ older brother for at this time of the day?" james asked, a wide grin on his face. i ignored his over-the-top prose and chewed on my lower lip. 

"i, i need to t-tell you something." i stammered, trying to ask a simple question. "and ask you for a, a favour." i added hastily. 

james leaned back in the plush red armchair, stretching his arms above his head. "go ahead." he replied, a grin still plastered on his face. 

fuck. i really didn't want to do this. but scorpius convinced me it'd be nice to tell _someone_ about us, and seeing as james was the only living soul i'd come out too, and knew about my crush on scorpius, there was no reason to keep it a secret from him. 

"i," i tried to think up an eloquent way to put it, but immediately gave up. words were not my thing. "i'm in a relationship with scorpius." 

i didn't hear an audible reply before getting punched in the arm. i snapped my head up and scowled. "what was that for?" 

james kept punching me lightly in the arm until i held up both my hands for him to stop, him laughing and smiling. 

"congrats, dude." james said sincerely, resting back on his chair. "i'm happy for you." he looked right at me when he said that, making me sink into the cushion behind me. 

"thanks." i mumbled, wringing my hands together. 

"what was the thing you wanted to ask?" james spoke up. 

oh, right. 

"um, can I, for tonight - " i lowered my gaze to james' head boy badge pinned on his cloak. "can I borrow the invisibility cloak?" i nervously got out.

the lack of a response from my brother made my heart pound. "i mean, you can say no, i just wanted to use it tonight so scorpius and I can like -" i flapped my hands about, hoping james understood that _we just wanted to be together._ "- like without being worried someone might see us, but it's totally fine if you - "

"albus." james interrupted me kindly. "you can have it. he brandished his wand before saying "accio, invisibility cloak!" the spell flying the cloak (from his trunk, i guessed) to his hand swiftly, handing it to me. "here."

i let the delicate article carefully slip into my hands and watched the light from the room's torches bounce off the silvery fabric. 

"thanks, james." i got up to leave, but a hand reached out, stopping me. 

"don't worry about returning it." my brother said, smiling softly. 

"what?" i asked, clutching the cloak tightly. "t-this is yours, and dad meant for you to have it, i can't just n-not give it back - "

"albus." a calming but firm voice stopped my panicked ramble. "i don't need it anymore." he gestured casually. "i'm too busy studying for the N.E.W.T's to use it anymore, and once i'm gone it won't be of much use anyways … " he explained rationally. 

"but you could give it to your kids!" i blurted out. realizing my answer was a bit stupid i bit my lip. 

"just take it. you and scorpius will get a lot more use out of it than i have in the past few years." james answered. i stood there, still unsure, before getting a knowing look from james. 

"uh, okay. thanks." i made to leave before james' voice rang out once more. i was halfway out of the portrait when he called out _"but no funny business!"_

i felt my face turn red as i shut the portrait and quickly made my way to the staircases. i marveled at the article of clothing in my hands as i walked the familiar route to the slytherin common room. james, ever the jokester, had completely caught me off guard by giving it me tonight. and not just to use once, but to have it for the rest of my time at hogwarts! that was crazy. wait until i tell scorpius. 

______________________________

_scorpius had once said something about dying from happiness. at first i had laughed, but i think now i understood._

the head on my lap rolled a bit to look up at me. silver eyes shone brightly back at me. 

i gave my boyfriend little kisses on his forehead, trailing down to his nose, then his cheeks - cold, from the brisk night air - and finally his lips. i could feel him smile as our lips met. 

time stood still as we basked in each other's presence, the cool wind drafting underneath the invisibility cloak (that we had draped over our legs for now) as we gazed out into the castle grounds. 

lying there with scorpius' head in my lap, his eyes closed but his mouth endlessly moving to recount the story of a wonderful christmas at malfoy manor, i felt nothing but happiness. 

yes, i could definitely die like this. 

___________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asoiuqfoijnbeif i love these boys so much !!!
> 
> thanks for reading :)
> 
> \- karis


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